"Alright do you want me to wait?" Lexi shook her head anxious to be alone and calm. "You'll be able to find us?"
"No problem," she said making a beeline towards sanctuary.
After about five minutes staring apprehensively at herself in the mirror, Lexi figured it was about time to get out of there. When she walked out, she was caught off guard by the man standing just outside of the bathroom talking to a woman who couldn't be a day under eighty. Lexi assessed the gorgeous specimen standing in front of her. She was quite certain he had one of the tightest asses she had ever seen. The suit he wore was obviously tailored for his build. An extremely muscular build, if she did say so herself. She figured he had to work out with a personal trainer…daily. His hair was a sandy blonde. Not that ugly highlighted look that so many guys were sporting, but a color that seemed infused with sunlight as if he lived at the beach. A look of disdain quickly crossed her face as realization hit her. It was pretty obvious that he was just another a**hole country clubber like every other person here. Of course he was handsome. They bred them that way. His incredibly amazing physique was likely mandatory. His blonde hair doubtless was from the beach. No. Now that she thought about it, he probably owned the beach! She crossed her arms uncomfortably. Whoever this guy was she already didn't like him. There was no way he had a personality. Last time, she had been here Jennifer had been the closest thing to a human being in the establishment, and God that was saying something. Just as she began to move away from the attractive man in front of her, he finished his conversation and turned around nearly knocking Lexi over.
"Oh sorry. Excuse me," he said after reaching out to steady her.
"No problem," she said coldly, backing up a step out of his comforting grasp. Her dark brown eyes shifted up to his extremely handsome, apologetic face. He really looked concerned. Strange. She turned away from his strong jaw line and high cheek bones, ignoring his expression. When he didn't seem to get the hint, she returned her gaze to his face. "Yea?" she asked rudely.
"Uh…sorry…do I know you?" he skeptically asked his eyes roaming her face.
Lexi rolled her eyes. Was he really playing this game? That had to be the most overused line anyone had ever used. Why would she know him? "Um…no, I don't think so," she said diverting her attention again. "I have to get to brunch." Lexi attempted to side-step him, but he cut off her path.
"No really, I think I know you from somewhere."
"You're in my way," she pointed out to him. She couldn't help how rude she was being. She wasn't really sure why he was eliciting such a reaction either. It's not like he had been rude to her, but Lexi didn't want to give him the chance.
"Oh yeah, sorry, but really we've met before."
"No, I don't think so."
"Have you ever been here before? I think it was here. Actually, I'm almost certain it was here."
"Just once a long time ago, but really I need to leave and you've blocked my path." Lexi didn't want to have this conversation. She didn't want to remember anyone she might have met that day when she had come with Jennifer.
"Okay, yeah, I definitely remember you now," he said cheerfully. "You came with one of my sister's friends. But she wasn't here, of course. I mean you wouldn't know that. My sister went to Duke. So she wasn't here. Which I already said. But you were here with her friend, I'm pretty sure. And man, she's really annoying." Lexi looked back up at him skeptically. Had he just called Jennifer annoying? Of course, Lexi thought Jennifer was annoying, but she was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to think that. "Oh no," he said staring down at her apologetically, "I mean she's your friend. I didn't mean that the way it sounded." She stared at him longer unable to believe what she was hearing. This guy was babbling. She was certain there was an unwritten rule somewhere preventing this from happening. "Wow, this isn't coming out right at all."
Lexi looked up at him incredulously. "Right then, I'm going to go," she said attempting to dodge him again.
"Oh right," he said seeming to step out of her way, but only blocking her path further. She sighed heavily, stepping in the opposite direction. He had the same idea and moved in front of her once again. He laughed heartily; probably a little too loud for the environment. The people she had been attempting to remain invisible from turned in their direction and began staring. She cringed and pushed her hair behind her ears.
"Okay stop," Lexi commanded, reaching out and grabbing his arm to prevent him from moving farther. "I'm going to go right. Just…don't move."
"Who are you here with?" he asked, ignoring her demand.
"That's none of your business," she snapped, extracting her hand from his suit.
"You're right," he said sheepishly. "It's just I don't know if you remember me, which I guess you don't, but I remember you."
She wasn't sure what that meant and didn't plan on finding out. "That's great," she stated sarcastically.
"Is Jennifer here?" he asked glancing over her shoulder to see if Jennifer was about to appear at her side.
"I don't know, but I'll send her your way if I find her."
"So, you didn't come here with Jennifer then?" he asked. She flinched, realizing that she had unintentionally given a way a piece of information.
"No, I didn't. What's it to you anyway?" Lexi demanded getting more flustered the longer she stood in front of him.
"I'm just curious about you, is all. You've been here before, and you came back," he said in disbelief. "That never happens."
"Right well, I see that I'm a fantastic spectacle for you to wonder about, but once again, you are in my way. I'm going to be late for brunch, and frankly, I'm starving." Not to mention she was sure to be humiliated if she arrived a second behind schedule.
"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting about that," he said, bringing his hand up and scratching the back of his head thoughtfully.
"Well, I haven't. So…yeah…nice meeting you," Lexi said off-hand, finally getting herself around his solid figure.
"But you didn't. I didn't even tell you my name or get yours for that matter."
Lexi turned letting her loose curls trail down her back. "That's alright. I've survived this long without it." He walked forward towards her. "What are you doing?" she asked throwing her hand out to stop him from walking further.
"I can escort you to your seat," he offered, his perfectly straight, white teeth appeared as he smiled brightly at her.
"Absolutely not."
"Do you even know where you are going?"
"You don't know where I'm going," she reminded him. "And I'm sure I can find my way just fine, thank you." She took another step forward and he followed her. She clenched her fists. "Jesus, why don't you back off?" she exclaimed raising her voice for the first time. She regretted her actions almost instantly. The obnoxious middle aged members, who had only been half-listening to their conversation, now went silent and turned their full attention to her, making her cheeks burn bright red. It didn't help that she had taken the Lord's name in vain in the Bible belt. Goddamn it, New York had changed her. She took three calming breaths before glancing back up at him and smiling through gritted teeth.
His smile had never wavered. Country Club manners through and through. "Well, if you are sure I can't be of any assistance, I'll just let you find your own way," he said politely.
Lexi watched him purposely walk off in the opposite direction. Clenching and unclenching her hands several times calmed her down enough to allow her to search for Jack. To be honest, she had no idea where to begin. She should have let that guy help her. But after he had been so goddamn pushy, all she wanted to do was get away. She searched around unsuccessfully before noticing Jack quickly approaching her.
"Where have you been?" he asked concerned and a little annoyed.
"I ran into someone and they wouldn't stop talking to me," she complained.
"Well let's hurry up. We should hurry and get in there before they start taking orders," he said smiling down on her, his annoyance dissipating the longer he remained in her presence.
Her throat caught as his hand rested gently on her elbow and nudged her in the appropriate direction. She had wanted things to be like this for so long. It hurt to know that the only reason she was here, the only reason he was even talking to her, was because of his girlfriend. His perfect girlfriend whom he intended to marry. His perfect girlfriend that she was about to meet. She sighed heavily mentally preparing herself and followed his lead into a side room with a large gold plaque labeled Anderson, Bridges, and C. Brown.
The dining room that Lexi entered opened onto a balcony overlooking the ninth hole fairway. Cream colored walls and blue patterned carpet decorated the large space. Three elegant oak tables filled the area with matching cushioned chairs placed around them. Nearly all the seats were occupied, and roughly thirty people glanced up from their prearranged silverware to stare at Jack and Lexi as they entered the room. Lexi smiled repentantly and ambled after Jack to their assigned seats.
"Sorry we took so long," Jack said taking his seat across from his girlfriend.
"Uh...hi," Lexi said adding a tiny wave before scooting into her seat and tucking her dress underneath her.
Lexi pulled her eyes from the table and let them rest on Bekah. She knew that she didn't like her as soon as Lexi laid eyes on her. Bekah was definitely beautiful in a cookie-cutter sort of way. I mean if you liked Barbie doll types. The pin-straight blond hair, Lexi had predicted she would have, was all one length cut to the middle of her back. Chunky bangs covered her forehead. Big blue eyes popped out from Bekah's naturally beautiful face which was hardly tainted by make-up. Lexi felt sick upon realizing that Bekah had as nearly flawless skin as Chyna. Her pale yellow, square-cut sundress was modest yet fashionable all the while accentuating her best features. Eleven millimeter white pearls dangled from her earlobes and matched the thin chain of Chanel pearls draped across her neck. What bothered her the most wasn't that she knew that this woman was one hundred percent Jack's type, that bothered her for sure, but rather that she had something that Lexi had never appeared to have.
Innocence.
Okay, to be fair, Bekah probably wasn't all that innocent either. After all, she was dating Jack. But she sure as hell gave off the appearance. Lexi, on the other hand, had never given off that appearance. Something about Lexi's dark tangled curly hair, the way her eyes looked smoky without make-up, the way her characteristically bold personality tended to intimidate strangers, and the way she almost always felt completely comfortable in her body gave off the impression not that she was easy, but certainly that she was not innocent.
"It's so nice to meet you," Bekah said. A row of brilliant white teeth were revealed as she smiled across the table from her.
"Likewise," Lexi said coughing uncomfortably and glancing away from her doe-eyed gaze. The rest of the table was filled with mostly respectable middle aged men and women in high-quality attire. She was introduced as jack's friend from out of town, but failed to really take in any names. She didn't plan on remembering any of them anyways. Lexi nudged Jack. "Don't you want to sit next to Bekah?" she asked indicating the empty seat facing her.